Cane-cutting machine.



c. E. BELL.

CANE CUTTING'MACHINE. APPLICATION jFlLED AUG. 19' 1912.

RENEWED JUNE 7, 1915.

, Patented JanlS, 1916.

s SHEETSSHEET 1.

vC. E. BELL;

CANE cumwe MACHINE. APPLLCATION FILED AUG. I9 19.12. RENEWED JUNE 7, l9l5.

1,168,46'? Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

C. E; BELL. CANE CUTTING MACHINE. .AAFPLICATION .FILED Auta. 19. E912. .RENEWED JUNE 7,1915. Y A67, Patented Jan. 18, 1916 V 6 SHEETSSHEET '3.

FI E C. E. BELL. CANE cumm; MAC HiNE. v .APPLICATION FILED AUG. 19, 1912, RENEWED JUNE 7, I915- 1 168A67, Patented Ja11.,18, 1916,

6 SHEETS-SHEET '4.

C. E. BELL.

CANE CUTT ING MACHINE. v .APBLJCATIOMFILED'AUG. I9,1912 RENEWED JUNE 7, 1915.

1,168,467., Patented Ja11.18,1916.'

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

- 0mm; llfiell CHARLES E. BELL. OF WEEKS, LOUISIANA.

cairn-CUTTING MACHINE.

Application filed August 19, 1912, Serial 1T0. 715,803. Renewed June 7, 1915. Serial No. 32,731.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES E. ,BE L, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVeeks, in the parish of Iberia and State of Louisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cane-Cutting 'Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved stallccutting and stripping machine, adapted particularly -,to cut and strip-cane sorghum, Kafir corn, milo maize, and like plants, the improved machine being adjustable to accommodate the same to the varying heights of such plants.

The object of this'invention to provide a machine of this character with adjustable cutters adapted to sever the stalks of the plants at various heights from the ground;

- the cutters being also adapted for'adjustment relative to their speed of rotation in-. dependently of the speed of travel of the machine.

The invention has for another object to provide a cane cutter andstripper'of this.

character with feeders or gatherers adapted to contact with'the stalks and straighten the same and to guide the stalks into the throat of the machine, the feeders delivering the stalks to the stripping mechanism and into a conveyer or gripper to hold the stalks in position during the operation of the stripping mechanism" upon the same.

A further object of this invention isto provide a novel form of gripper or conveyer comprising cooperating endless belts orchains carryingblocks which have corrucreased gripping surface areafor the blocks. 1

The invention set forth designs. to providea complete machinewith an improved power transmission'mechanism, whereby the sev eral parts, such as the cutters, the feeders and grippers, and the strippers, may, be

driven at independent speeds to effect the complete control of the machine; all of these adjustments of speed being independ ent of the speed of travel of the'machine.

Broadly, the invention consists in a travelmg frame having feeders or guides" for engagement with the stalks to bend the same into upright. position and direct themtrally from the front to the rear of the machine; having strippers below the gripping blocks and at the sides'thereof to engage the stalks .and remove the leaves therefrom as the stalks are moved through the frame by these gripping blocks; and having the ad- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan. 18, 1916. I

justable cutter at the rear upper end of the frame beneath the 'conveyer to sever the tops from the stalks after the same .have

been stripped, all of the, above mechanisms 1 being independently operated to admit of to cut the stalk from the ground andsimultaneonsly grasp the top of the stalk to suspend the same after being cut; second, to carry the stalk in suspended position through the machine, and to strip the stalk while being thus conveyed, and third, to sever the top from the stalk after the stripping action and after the top has served the purpose of supporting the stalk during the action of the lower cutters and the strippers.

Other objects of this invention will hereinafter appear and be brought out in the peculiar construet'ion, arrangement, and in the combinations. of parts set forth in thev following detailed description, accompanying drawings," and in-the appended claims.

In the drawings, disclosing one embodiment of this invention, Figure 1 is'a side elevation of the improved cane-cutting machine; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the machine; Fig. 4 is a rear elevation, parts of the machine being broken away; Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the driv- 35 frame.

plan view of one of the feeders or guides carried forwardly of the throat or at the entrance of the machine; Fig. 9is a detail enlarged plan view of one of the,stalkcutters operating beneath the throat of the machine.

Referring specifically to the drawings, in

which like parts are designated-throughout p I side bars-13. The forward uprights 11 are the several views by similar reference numerals, the main frame of the machine comprises the lowerside bars 10, provided at their opposite ends with the forward and rear uprights 11 and 12, respectively, held in vertical, parallel relation by the upper provided with a number of bearings 14,

spaced upon the uprights and being disposed in vertical'registration for rotatively supporting guiding shafts 15 at the forward edges of the uprights 11. Forks 16 are carried upon the lower extremities of the guiding shafts 15, are preferably curved backwardly beneath the frame and support suit able caster wheels 17. Sprockets 18 are carried upon the upper ends of the guiding shafts 15 above the frame, and are connected for simultaneous operation by a chain 19 lapping over the forward sides of the sprockets 18 and having its extremities extending rearwardly at the sides of the frame. A guiding cable 20 is attached at its free ends to the extremities of the chain 19, the

steering post 25 provided with an upwardly extending rotating stem 26 adapted to be turned-by a hand-wheel 27. The stem 26 is provided with a drum-portion 28 receiving in coiled relation thereto, theintermediate' portion of the guiding cable 20. It is thus observed that when the hand wheel 27 is turned the stem 26 and drum portion 28 are moved therewith and cause the guiding cable 20 to travel over the drum and move the connecting chain 19 over the sprockets 18.

' The sprockets 18 are thus revolved to effect the turning of the guiding shafts 15 simul- .movement ofthe frame in the taneously, thereby turning the caster wheels 17 to the desired angle and effecting the corresponding direction.

1 The main frame of the machine is providedwith upper and lower feeders or guides adapted for "engagement with the stalks to direct the same in a vertical posie 'tion into the throat of the machine.- The upper guide or feeder comprises a pair of.

endless chains 29 provided with pluralities of spaced and outwardly extending fingers idlers 31 at the inner sides of the chainsare displaced inwardly from the lines of divergence of the chains providing a widely-flaring throat between thefchains, the throat having a contracted portion; which converges toward the inner runs 'of the-chains where the fingers 30 of the opposite chains 29 intermesh. Thefingers30 ofthis upper feeder or guide are adapted to grasp the tops of the stalks andgather the same into the'contracted portion of the throat of the machine. Sprockets 33, fixed upon vertical shafts) 34, V engage the outer sides of .the chains 29 and hold each chain in the configuration of a diamond, as may be seen in Fig.2. The shafts 34 eXtend down within the frame and carry pulleys 35 provided with belt-supporting flanges 36 at their lower edges. The lower sidebars 10 are provided with oppositely disposedand inwardly-extending platforms 37 running longitudinally of the frame and being spaced apart at the central portion of the frame to provide a longitudinal passage therethrough. The platforms ,3? carry bearings 38 for the reception of thelower ends of the vertical shafts 34, the bearings 38 being preferably of the thrust-type to support the shafts 34 in position.

The lower gripper or feeder comprises a pair of endless belts or chains 39 operating over a pair of guideplates 40 converging rearwardly from the forward corners of the frame directly beneath the upper guide or feeder. A plan view of these belts and guiding plates is disclosed, in Fig. 8, showing the relative position of the belts to. the plates. Each belt or chainv 39; provided with a plu- .rality of outstanding 'an d spaced apart fingers 41 projecting into'the throat of the machineand adapted' to engage against, the

sides of the stalks and [carry the same rearwardly and centrallyinto the machine. It will be noted that the chains 39 are arranged diagonally over the plates 40 so as to project the fingers 41 into the throat to a greater extent beyond the edges of the plates 40 at the forward ends of the latter. As each of the fingers 41 moves rearwardly over the plate 40, it gradually recedes from the edge and finally frees the stalk at the inner rim of the chain supporting the finger. The chains '39 pass over sprockets 42.and 43, disposed respectively above the and the outer ends of the guide pla es' io, the outer sprockoperating shaft 51. The intermediate bars 54: are provided. with upstanding and fo'rwardly curved brackets 56 having journaled in their forwardiends a transverse shaft 57 ets 43 being arranged upon stub shafts 44c risingfrom the plates 40. Therear sprockets42 are fixed upon upwardly extending shafts 45 carried upon the plates 40, the

shafts 4:5having pulleys 46 upon their upper ends spaced slightly above the chains 39to support driving belts 47 extending laterally and outwardly from the feeder and passing over the pulleys 85 on the shafts 34. Upon is mounted in suitable bearings 52 disposed upon the upper side ;bars, 13 towards the rear end of the machine.

The forward cross-brace 53 is disposed upon the top of the frame and supports" the forward ends of-intennediate bars 55} ',ex-

tending back in parallelism'to' a cross-brace 55 arranged immediately beneath the, main provided upojn its extremities with beveled pinions 58. The beveled pinions 58 have their toothed faces extending in one direction, as for instance, to the left, as is dis-- closed in the drawings, and intermeshing with horizontally disposed and'correspondingly beveled pinions 59'. Cutter shafts 60 are journaled in the frame inwardly of and beneath the brackets 56. The cutter shafts 60 are provided upon their lower extremities with overlapping and coiiperating, cutter disks 61, themeeting point of which is disposed immediately beneath the inner ends of the throats of the feeders. The upper ends of the cutter shafts are journaled through a cross-head 62, the shafts 60 being headed, as at 63, to support the same upon the crosshead and to move the shafts vertically with the cross-head, [A pulley 64 is mountedupon one of the-shafts 60, while interme'shing gears 65 are carried'uponthe shafts 60,

beneath the pulley 64: to communicate motion to the opposite vertical shaft.

The cross-head 62 is adapted for vertical adjustment within the frame and for the purpose of effecting such adjustment a pair of jack screws'66, carrying the beveled gears 59 upon their upper ends, are mounted upon the intermediate. bars. 54 and engage in threaded relation through the opposite ends of the cross-head 62. The transverse shaft 57 is provided adjacentone end with a sprocket 67, over'which passes a chain;68

engaging at its rear end over a second sprocket 69 carried upon a crank handle 70 v orconveymg mechanism'ls placed ate, 7

adapted for moving the chain 68 and rotating the shaft 57. The crank arm 70 is mounted upon the frame at a point adj acent.

to-the hand wheel 27 for engagement by the hand of the operator in order to adjust the cross-head 62 within the frame to raise and lower'the cutting disks 61.

The improved machine is provided with a gripping mechanism or conveyer adapted to grasp-.the-tops of the stalks as they enter thefthroat of the machine and'carry the g'stalks in hanging position longitudinally to the rear vendof the frame. This gripping or conveying mechanism comprises a pair of endless chains 71v mounted at their forward ends,';as ,shown in Fig. 6, upon sprocket wheels 7 2 carried loosely about the shafts 60 for rotation independently thereof and to admit of the longitudinal sliding movement of the shafts 6Q therethrough.

The rear ends of the chains 71 pass over toothed sprockets 73-mounted upon vertical shafts 74 in thereargend of'the frame. A

. plate 119 is vertically-disposed.between the sides of each of; the chains/71 and is supportedfby the frame of-the machine. These plates 1'19" extend longitudinally 'lietween the runs of the chains and carry upon their inner sides'rows'of springs 120, across the outerends of which are secured tension plates 121. The tensfon plates 121 are held against the inner sides of the chains 71 to yieldingly hold the gripping blocks 7 5 carried upon the outer faces of the chains together 'as they travel from end to endin the upper portion of the throat of the machine. It will be observed that the tension plates'121 are curved inwardly at their ends to present "rounded'edges to admit of the easy sliding of ,the endless conveyers or chains 71 thereoverywhen placed under tension by the-top of the stalk tending to space apart the grip ping blocks. The chains 71 are ,disposed'i-ii parallelism, andh'ave their inner sides disposed in'proximity to one another for bringing into intermeshing contact series of the gripping blocks 7 5 secured to the links of the chains 71. With reference-to Fig. 7 ,.it

willbe noted that each of the-blocks 75 is provided at its upper and lower edges and at-its inner end with apertured lugs 76,

for the reception of the rivets 77, connect,-

blocks 75 is provided with a serrated face ing the links of the chains 71. Each of the-f forminga number ofteeth adapted to intertightly against the serrated face of the first block. i The serrationsin the faces of the blocksjare preferably. formed horizontally {soasto produce an increased. gripping surface area for the blocks. for supporting the. p o

I {tops of the stalks. I

.From Fig. 1, t will be noted that thegrip slig t inclinationin the"frame, the rear end thereof "being slightly raised from the plane 'of the forward, end. It will be also noted that by this construction the blocks 75.intermesh at points immediately above the-con: tacting points of the cutters 61, so as to grasp the tops of the stalks simultaneously with the cutting of the lowerends of the same.

In Fig. 9 is disclosed the preferred :form

of cutting disk 61, provided with a serrated edge, presenting an indefinite number of an gular cutting edges to the sldes of the stalks I so as to effect, to some extent, a chopping action against the stalks.

'lheniajchine is provided with a stripping mechanism adapted to tear the leaves from the stalks as they are conveyed from the forward to the rear end of the machine.

This stripping mechanism is in the form of forward and rear pairs of chains 78 and 79, arranged in parallel and vertlcal posltion and being supported at their ends upon sprockets 80 carried on horizontal shafts S1, 82, disposed longitudinally in the frame.

The chains 7 S and 7 9 carry stripper bars 83 longitudinally disposed in the frame and supported at their opposite ends and in spaced relation up'on'the chains 78 and 79, the. same being adapted for vertical move-' ment within the frame. The shafts 81 are provided upon their rear extremities with driving pulleys 84, receiving thereover the inner ends of driving belts 85, which are car ried inwardly through the opposite sides of the frame over idlers 86 from the driving pulleys .87 carried upon extended extremi ties of the main driving shaft 51. The stripper bars 83 are each provided with outwardly extending prongs or fingers 87 condownwardly through the central portion of the frame so as to move down against the sides of the stalks during the action of the grippers or conveyers carrying the stalks v longitudinally through thelframe.

From Fig. 4 it will be particularly'noted that the main driving shaft 51 is provided with a pulley 88 adjacent one end thereof and inwardly of the bearing,52,fover which passes the main driving belt 89 depending through the frame of the machine and "ena in over a )ulle' 90 carried 11 one, suit:

able driving motor 91. The motor 91 is adapted to rotate the main driving shaft'51 the latter having independent connection with the several mechanisms herembefore set forth, so as to drivethe same at different I speeds.

The means employed for imp'arting movement to the gripping mechanism or conveyers comprises a pair of intermeshing gears 92 fixed upon the stub shafts 74 supporting the toothed wheels 73, one of the shafts 74 extending up through the cross-brace 55 beneath the shaft 51 carrying a friction disk 93 bearing against an adjustable friction pulley 94 carried upon the sliding sleeve 95 arranged for longitudinal movement upon the shaft; 51 at its middle portion. A hand lever 96 is connected with the sleeve 95 forthe purpose of sliding the pinion 94: over the upper face of the friction disk 93 to vary the speed of rotation of the shaft 74: with respect to the main driving shaft 51.

In the rear end of the frame is disposed a tilting table 97, the same being hinged between the rear ends of the lower side bars 10 at apoint adjacent to the forward end of the table 97, the pivotal supporting point 98 of the table 97 being fixed thereto and having an outstanding crank arm 99, which is pivotally connected to the lower end of a connecting rod 100, which is hinged at its upper-end upon the horizontal arm of a bell crank lever 101,'the, opposite arm of which extends upwardly and merges into a handle 102 disposed adjacent to the seat 24 of the operator. The upper, side bar 13 carriesa notched segment 103 receiving a latch 104 carried upon the handle 102 for the par-1 pose of locking the handle in upright p,osi-

tion to hold the table 97 in upright'position for the reception of the stalks as they pass from the stripper and conveyer. An apron 105 is carried upon the forward end of the tilting table 97 and is adapted to receive the butts of the stalks as they pass from the stripping mechanism.

After the stalks have passed from the stripping mechanism and immediately prior to the delivery of the same from the conveyers onto the tilting table 97, the tops of the stalks are severed therefrom by the top cutting disk 106.. The disk 106 is mounted upon the upper end of a pin 107 journaled through the horizontal arm of a bracket I 108 vertically adjustable upon the upright 109 disposed within the frame and extending upwardly from the rear end of the bracket 37. to the cross bar 55. The bracket108- is adjustably connected to the frame in any suitablemanner, as by the provision of the clamping bolts 110,engaging in the vertical slot 111 disposed 'in the upright 109. The, lower end of th'e'pin 107 carries a beveled gear 112 intermeshing with a beveled pinion 113 carried upon the end of the operating rotation to sever the tops fr'omthestalks as shaft 114, disposed in the bracket 108, the

upon the tilting table 97. The tops of the stalks fall down upon the apron 105 after the stalks have been severed and have fallen toward the tilting table 97. The main frame of the machine is suitably mounted upon traction wheels 117 mounted adjacent to the rear end of the frame and driven in any suitable manner as by a motor 118.

The operation of the improved canecutting and stripping machine is as follows: The machine is driven forwardly by the motor 118 and is guided in the desired direction by the caster wheels 17 through the steering mechanism hereinbefore described and operated by the hand wheel 27. As the machine moves against a stalk the upper gatherer orguide 29 strikes the sides ofthe stalk and the fingers 30 engage against the outer side of the stalk and move the same into the throat ofthe-machine. TheHower guide or gatherer 39 engages the butt of the stalk and movesthe same into the throat of the machine simultaneously with the upper end of-the stalk. The gatherers move the upper and lower ends of the stalk simultaneously against the cutting disks 61 and the gripping blocks 75. The gripping blocks 7 5 bind against the opposite sides of the tops of the stalks to support the same as the cutting disks 61 simultaneously sever the lower endsof the stalks from the ground. The operator now manipulates the handle 96 to adjust the friction disks 93 and 94: to set the grippers or conveyors at the desired speed to carry the stalks rearwardly and up through the frame. As the stalk is carried re-arw'ardly and centrally through the frame by these grippers, the stripper mechanismoperates against the opposite sides of the stalks, bringing the stripping fingers 87 against the leaves of the stalks and tearing the same therefrom, carrying the leaves down and out from the bottom of the frame. The stalks are carried from the strippers and engage at their upperends against the top cutting disk 106, severing the top from the stalk and admitting of the falling of the stalk upon the apron 105. The movement of the machine imparts arearward tilting movement to the stalk which falls upon the.

tilting table 97. Subsequent to the falling of the stalk upon the tilting table 97, the. top is released from between the gripping blocks 75 and permitted to fall down upon the apron 105 at the foot of the stalk. When the desired number of stalks have accumulated upon the tilting table 97, the operator releases the latch 104 from the segment 1'03, and swings the handle 102 backwardly to down and turn e table 97 into the position disclosed in dotted lines in Fig. 1', whereupon the stalks slide from the rear end of the table and are disposed in sition upon the ground.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the detailed construction, arrangement of parts, and the manner of operating the same, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-' tcrs Patent of the: United States is l. In a cane harvester, a frame, a pair of opposed horizontal endless belts extending longitudinally in the upper portion of the frame, blocks carried upon said belts adapted to be brought together between the belts and having intermeshing horizontally corrugated faces for crimping and holding the tops of stalks, top cutting mechanism in the frame immediately beneath the rear ends of the belts, and operating means for driving said belts and actuating said mechanism v whereby to carry stalks through the frame and sever the tops from the stalks prior to the release of the tops from the belts.

. 2. In a cane harvester, a frame, a conveyer in the upper end of the frame for engagement with the tops'of stalks to hold the same in suspended position, vertically ar ranged and spaced apart pairs of endless chains carried inthe frame, stripper bars carried across the endless chains, stripping fingers outstanding from the bars and consecutively increasing 1n length from the forward to the rear end of the stripper bars,

vethe connecting rod 100 means for moving the endless chains to carrythe fingersdownwardly at the central serrated faces adapted to intermesh and,

crimp the tops of stalks therebetween, and

means for operating the endless conveyors in unison. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand inv presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. E. BELL.

Witnesses:

CLYDE Woons, G. W. THoMrsoN.

' portion of the frame, and a topping mecha- 1 

